Home Remedies to Fight the Common Head Cold

It is the weekend, I have a ton of schoolwork to be done, report cards are due Tuesday, and I have come down with a miserable head cold.  The kind of head cold that has my head pounding, a deep raspy cough causing a raw and sore throat, and completely congested my sinuses.  No, it is not pretty! But what’s a girl to do?

I thought I’d share with you some of my home remedies that I believe in, and over time seem to have worked for me.

Home Remedies to Fight the Common Head Cold

Astragalus

A friend told me about astragalus a few years back.  She keeps a bottle in her desk at school, yes, she is a teacher, and whenever, I would start to come down with the sightless cold she would hand me a baggie of capsules of this Chinese herb. In her motherly tone, she would tell me to start taking them now. They always seemed to help shorten, head off, and generally help me deal the with impending virus. I have the GNC brand. I am not a doctor, and I am only sharing what I do to help fight colds. You can find out more about astragalus here on the Dr. Oz website. I do not take this on a daily basis, only when I feel I need a boost to my immune system.

Hot Lemon Water with Honey

I am an avid coffee drinker! But when my head is clogged like this, coffee no longer taste good. Instead I start drinking hot lemon water dosed with honey.  I am lucky that I have a friend that is a beekeeper, so I have local honey. They say that local honey helps people with allergies.  I don’t have an issue with allergies, but I figure it is still an added bonus – one never knows. The honey really helps soothe my irritated throat.  And according to the Green Pharmacy Guide to Healing Foods honey also has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, which help fight viruses, bacteria, and fungi.  To me it just taste great and feels good!

Zinc 

When I’m under the weather I stock up on Cold-eeze.  The zinc throat lozenges are said to cut the duration of the common cold by half.  I just know that they soothe my sore throat, and if it helps shorten the time I spend feeling miserable all the better. Plus when I’m feeling this sick, they taste good.

Neti Pot

I once saw a Neti Pot demonstration on the Oprah show.  As I said earlier, I don’t really have an allergy problem.  From time to time they can act up, but not so much – I am lucky in that respect.  But I was totally intrigued by the Neti Pot and went out and bought one at my local pharmacy.  My Neti Pot came with small saline packages.  I was hooked after the first time I used one.  I only use it when my sinuses are clogged or felling yucky, and after a rinse with the Neti Pot my sinuses feel so much better! Really it’s amazing!

Gargling with Warm Salt Water

I must admit my kids really dislike this one.  It does take a bit to figure out how to gargle without swallowing the salty water – especially when you are not feeling well.  But getting the salt to the back of the throat seems to help fight off any virus living back there. It also helps alleviate inflammation and irritation of the throat. Again – I am not a doctor!

Rest and Lots of Liquids

It’s hard to achieve sometimes, but rest is so very important! And the proverbial Chicken Soup is also a mainstay remedy. My husband makes the best Chicken Noodle Soup ever!<

These are the home remedies that I use to fight the common cold.  Like most of you, I don’t have time to get sick.  All of the above remedies seem to help me, and that is why I always turn to them when I feel like I am getting sick.What do you do to fight off a cold?